The Mockingjay
by coraline olivin
Summary: Continued after Catching Fire,Is District 13 really a match for the capitol?Do they really have a chance at all?Does District 13 even exist? Katniss unfolds secrets of the capitol she wishes she had never known.sorry,im really bad at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the Hunger Games, Suzan Collins does. Please hit the magical review button on the bottom of the page. I know its short, but I wanted to know if it's good at all before I put all my time and effort into it. (I live a busy life filled with books and procrastination). So review and I will continue to write. **

I wake to the sound of arguing, and bolt upright, expecting to see the arena before me and two tributes readying to spring. Instead I see a more benign sight, but not much more; Haymitch and Gale are arguing. They are hushed and I see Gale is frustrated. I squeak involuntarily as a spasm of pain shoots up the arm where Johanna removed the tracker rather violently. Gale and Haymitch both turn towards me. Gale looks happy to see me, but also worried at my state, or is there something else? Haymitch on the other hand looks irritated as usual.  
"Do you have to be so jumpy," Haymitch starts," the doctor said to rest and try to keep that arm still for a while. Not to mention everything else is also somehow injured, what did you do, Katniss, throw yourself against some rocks when the cameras weren't looking?" I barely hear him; the look on Gale's face is much too distracting. He looks worried, frustrated, and…strangely empty.

"You should tell her, Haymitch. You have to tell her." I feel like someone is slowing pushing the air out of my lungs, constricting my breath, because the look on Gale's face is really freaking me out. This can't be anything good.

"What? What should you tell me?" I wait for an answer, frustration is the only emotion I let them see; I will not let them see my fear.

"See, look what you've done, you've gone and said something about it, and now I have to tell her." Haymitch turned toward Gale and dropped his voice to a whisper, he evidently thought only Gale could hear. But of course I could hear it too, time spent in the arena and the woods had made my hearing more sensitive than most, "Do you know how bad it would be if she knew? She'd freak out! Gale I swear-," he broke off breathing heavily in his anger, "-gale I swear if you say one more word about it, while she's around, I'll," I can see Haymitch thinking, I mean what could he really do to gale that would have any effect, "Well you won't like it, whatever I'll do, I can tell you that much!"

I can see Gale smirk, but there is still that worry apparent in the set of his mouth and the way his forehead crinkles.

"Tell me," I say. It's not a request, there is no getting around this, and I can see Haymitch can see that.

"It's not here," He says, defeated.

"What's not here?" I ask, confused.

"District 13, we've been circling for hours and we've found nothing but a mass of rubble and dust. And we can't stay in one place for much longer, at first the capitol didn't even realize that we weren't with them. Kinda the point of having a capitol hovercraft, but a few started to follow us. We shook them off of course, but I think they knew we were a rebel force, I just don't want to stay in one place, like a sitting duck, just waiting for the capitol to come and shoot us where we stand, or hover," Haymitch continues to ramble on, and at first I don't understand, but then the words take meaning and my stomach plummets. My eyes blur for a moment, turning the room into a watercolor of white walls and yellow lights. I feel sick. If there's no District 13 then there is no place to go, no safe haven we have dreamed of, no mass of people waiting to fight in our rebellion, and above all no hope. And I realize this now; District 13 was hope for me. No matter how many times I dismissed the idea of running away, of leaving, I still had it in the back of my mind, and District 13 only solidified this idea even more. It was my hope and now it's gone. I feel as if someone has sucked the air out of me and left me empty.

Gale, seeing my blank expression, walks toward me, and sits on the edge of the bed.

"Don't worry; I'm sure it's here. I mean, how could it not be? It's probably on the other side of one of these mountains or something" I hear the emptiness I'm feeling in his voice, and I know he doesn't believe a word he's saying right now; and neither do I.

"Is there a window anywhere?" I say. Haymitch looks surprised at my calm, he obviously doesn't see the nothingness radiating inside me, the absence of hope.

"Um, yeah. There's one right outside the door." Haymitch says.

I get up, with the help of Gale, and limp towards the door. With my sore, but still good arm, I open the door and see good-sized window directly in front of me. I step towards it (or rather drag a bruised foot) and peer out onto the nothingness of District 13. Sure enough all there is is dust, dust, and more gray dust. I sigh, because they're right, there is no District 13.

But then my breath catches, because a gust of wind has blown a few dead leaves into the mass of dust and rubble. Instead of just sweeping over, and then settling, I see a flash of light, of color, and then the leaves shoot into the air, burnt to a crisp. Nobody else seems to notice this, but me. Hope returns, as realization sweeps through me.

There is a District 13; it's just encased in force field like the one in the Games. Clever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I reread Catching Fire (the best book known to man, and probably the best book unknown to man, if that makes sense) and my story doesn't make sense in comparison, I'm off on some details, so just pretend I'm still in synch with the actual story, if you haven't read Catching Fire recently, and thought my story made perfect sense then, forget everything I just said. :D Review, Review, Review, I want as much constructive criticism as possible! Please Review!**

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"Haymitch I'm disappointed in you." I can see confusion on their faces as I say this, and I feel a smile creep onto my face.

"What are you talking about, Katniss?" Gale says apprehensively. As I turn toward the window again to show them the force field, I hear Haymitch ask Gale in a whisper if they've given me any strong painkillers.

"Haymitch! It's a force field, like in the games," I let out an exasperated sigh as I see Haymitch's "you're crazy" look come into his eyes, "and no, I don't think they've given me any painkillers." Haymitch just smiles at my annoyance.

"What, did your superhuman ear hear the buzz?" Haymitch asks smirking. I knew he wouldn't have believed that cover, nobody with a brain in their head would. Luckily for me none of the capitol citizens' brains seem to function.

"Wait, Katniss, a force field. How do you know?" Gale asks. Obviously he's the only one who can focus.

"I saw some leaves blow across the "rubble" and they shot out of it burnt to a crisp. That is definitely not normal," I can still see they are not satisfied, so I add, "If you have another explanation for that, and the fact that there is no district 13, then go ahead, I'd like to hear it! This otta be good."

"Katniss, you probably just imagined, it." Haymitch says, bringing my frustration to an intolerable level. Seeing that I'm about to burst Gale tries to calm me.

"Katniss, you lost a lot of blood, and you probably are on strong painkill-," but I cut him off with,

"Just look out the window, dammit!" I say this right as a few dead leaves are picked up by a light breeze and carried to the rubble. Sure enough, right as it crosses into the gray dust of District 13, the leaves shoot into the air, singed.

"Haymitch look! She's right!" Gale says astonished, and I can tell relieved. He moves to make room for Haymitch. As Haymitch stares out the window, until disbelief crosses his face.

"Unbelievable. That's exactly what a force field would do. I can't think of any other thing that would do that. That's genius." Haymitch says pondering this discovery, "The only problem now is getting inside the force field and to the rebels. They should be able to see us right?"

"We're in a Capitol hovercraft, they're probably terrified right now," Gale reminds us.

"Do you know where Beetee is? He'd know more about this than any of us." I say.

"We relocated him to another room, because he needs more assistance, but I think he's conscious now. Man, he got it bad didn't he." Haymitch says. He leads Gale and I down the hall a few doors and turns the latch on a white door identical to every other in the ship. The room is what is startlingly different. My room is simple, with a few medical instruments, a soft cot, and a monitor ready for me to be hooked up to, if need be. Beetee on the other hand, is lying on a surgical table, hooked up to about ten machines. Next to him is an assortment of probably every instrument ever invented in medicine: from wraps and bandages, to syringes, and cylinders of various liquids. Beetee doesn't look to good himself, with a bandage wrapped around his head stained a strange green (probably from a medicine), and his overall pallor a ghostly white. But he _is_ conscious, Haymitch got that much right.

He lifts up his head and turns it towards us, and I can see how much that small movement exhausts him. I hurry towards him, eager for information, but also wanting to help him; when the smell assaults me. I stop, and hold my breath, because it's a mix of vomit and alcohol, and I think it's coming from the green medicine on his bandage.

"That stinks!" says Haymitch, with little regards to Beetee's health.

"Trust me, I know," croaks out Beetee, attempting to let out a shaky laugh, but failing miserably.

"Beetee," I say, "We need your help."

"With what. I don't think I'll be of much help in this state, but you can try me."

"Sweetheart, here, says that District 13's under a force field," Haymitch says. He chuckles as he sees my annoyance at being called sweetheart. I think it's become a sort of nickname for me, against my will. After Beetee says he'll do the best he can to tell, we place him in a wheelchair, careful of his fragile state. We wheel him slowly (too much movement could make him sick) to a window, and he cranes his neck to look out. He stares for a little bit; and I begin to get nervous. What if there is no force field? What if it's something else entirely? What if it's just remaining radioactivity from the explosion? My worries are cut short as Beetee finally speaks

"Do you see it Katniss?" he says quietly, almost whispering, "Right over there." He points to a point in the exact center of the rubble.

"See what?" I ask, confused.

"The square, it's there; take your time," he says, reminding me again of a schoolteacher teaching a student patiently. And when I do see, relief floods me once more, and I see something almost like pride reach Beetees face. He's like a proud teacher; I smile to myself.

"Get Plutarch Heavensbee, and roll me over to the control panels on the ship. I will contact them, and tell them we are rebels too," Beetee croaks, his voice weakening towards the end. We do as we are told. As Beetee works at the many levers, buttons, and screens, I am reminded once more of Beetee's vast intelligence. The data showing up in numbers and letter, are illegible, and seem random to me; but I can tell they mean something to him because he's working furiously. He seems to have finished as Plutarch comes in. Turning towards the man who used to be the head gamemaker, he says,

"I've made contact." At that moment, I hear a staticy voice come from an invisible speaker. It's incomprehensible at first, but then the static clears and a frantic female voice is heard saying,

"We know you are rebels, but act like the Capitol right now. There is an actual Capitol ship within a hundred mile radius. You must send them a message as the Capitol, and tell them to go in the opposite direction. If you are not successful, this could be the end of us all. Be careful, they-," but the voice goes static and we never hear what we have to be careful of, but that is the least of my worries, because at that moment the cool voice of President Snow blasts through the speakers, and my breath stops.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know I make really short chapters, but I swear it's always at least 3 pages on Microsoft Word, and that's a lot for me. I know it always takes me a while to get the chapters out, but it takes me a while, because I work hard on them. I hope you enjoy this one! Please Review!**

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"Hello Katniss," says president snow, his voice booming through the speakers, "It's nice to talk to you again, isn't it nice to talk? Well, then it's nice for me. But I'm afraid you won't be doing much talking during this conversation, or after for that matter. I'm not sure you will be in much state to talk… Well, I'm sure you're wondering what's going on; you and Plutarch must be very confused as to how I've tapped into your sound system. Surely if I've done this then I must know where you are, what you are trying to do? Well then I see we're all on the same page. I'm just going to inform you, that you might want to make the most of these next few seconds, because they will be your last. Thank you, oh, and Katniss; may the odds be _ever_ in your favor." We hear a faint chuckle, and then the line goes dead.

Silence is the only thing around me. Nobody speaks; nobody dares to break this impenetrable silence. Is there really anything to say? So all I hear is silence, as the world spins, and as I fall to the ground, cool metal burns my cheek. I only hear silence, and I only see red blood trickle from my arm, where my nails had dug into my injury. Red turns to black and silence, silence is the only thing that surrounds me.

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My escape out of reality is brief, all too brief. My eyelids are ripped open by air rushing so fast past, that it is almost a solid force. I squeeze them shut, and become aware that I am falling. My heart in my throat, frozen wind bites my bear arms, legs and face, ripping at my hair and thin clothing. I feel someone holding me, around the middle. And then a tug pulls me almost to a halt in midair. I finally look up, and past Gale's face and an expanded orange parachute, I see the fiery remains of what was once our hovercraft rain down.

"Catnip, are you okay?" I hear Gale's voice murmur close to my ear. But I have not a second to contemplate his question, the closeness I just came to death, or my immediate danger because the second my toes touch the ground I hear Plutarch whisper one word as he passes me and then disappears in the dense forest that surrounds us.

"Run."

And I do. I run for all I'm worth, because at this moment it's all I can do. All I have against the all-powerful capitol are my legs, my breath, my endurance, and my speed. So I run.

It is not until I hear a wheezing behind me that I turn. I see Beetee in the distance, and immediately stop. There is no way I'm leaving him; no threat of danger could ever make me leave this man who has done so much for me and the rebellion. I hurry back, and I hear the faint sound of Gale turning and following me.

"Katniss what are you doing?!?" he whisper yells, any loud noise could alert the capitol to our whereabouts.

"Beetee," I say. Realization colors his face and he silently races to catch up with me. We run towards Beetee, and upon reaching him, he collapses into a heap on the forest floor. Breathing heavily Beetee chokes out a few words,

"They don't know where we are." He gasps.

"What?" I ask confused.

"I checked, in the seconds before the ship exploded I checked. While everyone was grabbing parachutes I was watching the screens, and there is no possible way they could know where we are. They could be near, and they could have already had an explosive in the ship," he takes a long wheezing breath, "but there is no possible way they could know where we are. President Snow was tricking us, and Plutarch knows nothing of tracking technology but the basics. President Snow obviously didn't think I'd be in much state to sort these things out. When a man believes he is God, he also believes he is not privy to mistakes. In some ways it is good he believes this, because he makes an awful lot more mistakes that way." Beetee's mouth turned up at the corners, and he lets out a shaky chuckle. I smile as well, both in relief and at his small joke. But then I freeze

"Where are the others?" I say.

"I'm sure Plutarch, Finnick, and Haymitch are fine," Gale replies.

"No, not them, Prim and my mom? Where are they? Did you see them land?" I ask, and I can tell my voice sounds frantic, as well as it should. For all I know they could have never jumped and died along with our ship. I stop, I will not think that.

"Yes I saw them land, and I saw them take off into the trees like death was on their trail. Which I'm sure they thought it was. No need to worry anymore," Beetee says reassuringly, " we can finally arrive at District 13." Beetee seems genuinely happy. And now I am happy too, I will finally be safe and with all the people I love soon. Well not all the people I love… not Peeta. I haven't thought of him in days, and my mind recoils at the mention of his name. It snaps in on itself like a rubber band with too much tension. I divert my attention to Gale. I nod and we call the names of our small group of rebels, they come agitated, nervous, and terrified. We calm their nerves and happiness swells, but I still taste the bitter sadness of loss.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry, it took so long to write, I've got a lot of work! I'm also sorry this chapter is so short, forgive me Please! Thank you to all my reviewers, and please hit the magical review button again, it will bring world peace and an end to hunger, well…. Maybe not, but it will make me happy! :D I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, although I wouldn't mind owning Gale, if you know what I mean ;) XD**

Previously…

"_Yes I saw them land, and I saw them take off into the trees like death was on their trail. Which I'm sure they thought it was. No need to worry anymore," Beetee says reassuringly, "we can finally arrive at District 13." Beetee seems genuinely happy. And now I am happy too, I will finally be safe and with all the people I love soon. Well not all the people I love… not Peeta. I haven't thought of him in days, and my mind recoils at the mention of his name. It snaps in on itself like a rubber band with too much tension. I divert my attention to Gale. I nod and we call the names of our small group of rebels, they come agitated, nervous, and terrified. We calm their nerves and happiness swells, but I still taste the bitter sadness of loss._

Haymitch takes a small mechanical contraption out of a backpack I didn't notice he was carrying until now. It's black and rectangular, with a screen taking up one side and a series of multicolored buttons on another. Haymitch presses a green button and the machine comes to life displaying a picture I cannot make out. He studies the mechanism for a second and then points west.

"It's that way." He states already walking in that direction.

"Wait what is that thing," I ask, feeling only the slightest bit stupid for not knowing.

"It's a geo. It senses the geography of the area. To the west it's just blurry, showing the force field. Of course blurring could mean a number of things, but at this moment we're just assuming," Beetee answers kindly, as Haymitch grumbles about asking too many questions, and not needing to know every little detail. I shoot Haymitch a glare and follow now that I'm convinced we have a reliable source. We walk for a short ways, throwing bits of wood ahead to check for the force field, exactly as I did in the arena. When a piece of bark makes a faint popping sound and flies back at us charred, we all freeze.

"There, Katniss," Beetee points at the blurred square, the chink in the armor. But I don't have a moment to check, because in that second a large square right in front of us seems to have been cut from the force field. I look through and see a long, smooth, pavement road twisting and turning until it comes to a dead end a while away. Tall, but thin stone houses block most of our view. They are squeezed together, all gray, but quaint and peaceful. This air of peacefulness and normalcy shocks me for a second, I hadn't realized how accustomed I'd come to strange and life-threatening situations. This seemed too perfect to be real. Making the image even stranger surrounding this view was still the forest mirrored. The road and houses seemed out of place. I walk towards it in a dream-like state, reaching my hand out to see if I'll touch something solid that says it's just a projection, a screen showing me more lies. But my hand passes through and I continue to walk, barely noticing that the rest are still standing dumbstruck. I close my eyes, and take one deep breath, and open them again just to make sure this is all real, not just a dream.

I started as I felt a faint touch on my shoulder. Turning I saw Gale, his gray eyes wide with wonder and relief.

"Katniss, its real, we're safe. You're safe," he whispers, and looks into my eyes. For a moment, in the relief, pure joy, and awe; I become lost in the cool gray of his eyes, noticing the hints of navy and black. Something unrecognizable crosses them, something warm and.... indescribable, but good and it floods me with heat. His touch on the bare skin of my shoulder sending shocks through my skin, and without consent a blush spreads to my cheeks. I am unable to break his gaze, like some invisible hand is holding my head in place.

"Katniss Everdeen. Never thought I'd see the day," a voice behind me says, snapping me out of it. I turn and see a tall woman with fair skin and light blonde hair, almost white. Everything about her is pale, her eyes an electric blue, the only color she possessed other than her pink lips. Her eyelashes were almost invisible, her skin a cream. Her color was washed out, and it looked like she hadn't seen the sun in ages, but somehow she shone so radiantly it looked like she was sun. It was her smile that shone and the smile was genuine, it spreads me with even more happiness. I'm so happy, I have this urge to giggle uncontrollably, but somehow I suppress them, and only let a potentially stupid looking grin widen.

"I'm guessing you're Aveen Snow," Haymitch says from right behind me, addressing the woman.

"Snow?" I ask shocked.

"Yes, Snow. My brother was your president, don't judge to quickly though. If I may say so myself I'm nothing like him. I've dedicated my whole life to bringing down the Capitol. Katniss, I hate him with every fiber of my being, and you, you are our chance, at bringing him down. You are our mockingjay Katniss," she took a breath, the earnest light in her eyes glazed over by tears that welled in her eyes. This woman is strange, I thought.

"Okay, it's time to announce you're here," she said serious now.


End file.
